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Click on title of any pericope numbered in red to access the original language text.
| 7. | Priests quit Jerusalem [166 BCE] |
| 1 | In those days (ca. 166 BCE) Mattathias, son of Johanan ben Simeon, a priest of the family of Joarib, left Jerusalem and settled in Modein. |
| 2 | He had five sons: Johanan, who was called Gaddi; |
| 3 | Simon, who was called Thassi; |
| 4 | Judah, who was called Maccabee; |
| 5 | Eleazar, who was called Avaron; and Jonathan who was called Apphus. |
| --- Septuagint, 1 Maccabees 2:1-5 |
| 8. | Mattathias' Zeal for the Torah |
| 15 | The (Greek) king's [Antiochus IV] men who were enforcing the apostasy (from the Torah) came to the city of Modein to make them sacrifice. |
| 16 | Many Israelites came to them; but Mattathias and his sons were rounded up together. |
| 23 | In the sight of all a Jewish man came forward to offer a sacrifice on the (pagan) altar of Modein in accordance with the king's edict. |
| 24 | Mattathias saw this and was filled with zeal. Inside he was in turmoil; and his righteous indignation was aroused. Dashing forward, he slew the man on the altar. |
| 25 | Then he also killed the (Greek) king's man who was forcing them to sacrifice; and he tore down the altar... |
| 27 | Then Mattathias called out to
the city in a loud voice, saying: "Let everyone who has zeal for the Torah and who stands by the covenant follow me!" |
| 28 | So he and his sons fled to the mountain, leaving everything they had in the city. |
| 29 | At that time many who sought righteousness and justice were going out to settle in the wilderness --- |
| 30 | they and their sons, their wives and their cattle --- because they took the evils [of Hellenization] so hard. |
| --- Septuagint, 1 Maccabees 2:15-16, 23-30 |
| 9. | Hasidic Jews enforce Torah |
| 42 | Then (Mattathias and his sons) were joined by a congregation of chasidim, a strong army of Israelites, everyone of them a volunteer for the Torah. |
| 43 | And all those who were fleeing from the disaster joined them. And they became their supporters. |
| 44 | They gathered a force; and in their anger they struck at law-breakers and sinners in their wrath. And the survivors of their raids fled to the gentiles for safety. |
| 45 | Mattathias and his comrades went about and tore down their altars. |
| 46 | And they circumcised any uncircumcised boys they found within Israel's borders. |
| 47 | They drove out the sons of arrogance and their task prospered in their hands. |
| 48 | They rescued the Torah from the hands of gentiles and the (Greek) king; and they did not permit the sinner to triumph. |
| --- Septuagint, 1 Maccabees 2:42-48 |
| 10. | Judah Maccabee plans attack on Jerusalem |
| 55 | Now after this Judah (Maccabee) appointed leaders over the people, commanders of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens. |
| 56 | He proclaimed that those who were building houses, and those who were about to be married, and those who were planting vineyards and those who were afraid should each return to this home, in accordance with the Torah [Deut. 20:5-8]. |
| 57 | And the army moved out and camped to the south of Emmaus. |
| 58 | Judah said: "Arm yourselves and be brave! In the morning be prepared to fight these gentiles who have gathered against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. |
| 59 | It is better for us to die in battle than to see the evil deeds against us and our sanctuary. |
| 60 | As it is willed by Heaven, so let it be done!" |
| --- Septuagint, 1 Maccabees 3:55-60 |
| 11. | Purification of the Temple |
| 36 | Then Judah
and his
brothers said: "See, our enemies have been crushed. Let's go up to purify and rededicate the sanctuary." |
| 37 | So the whole army gathered and went up to Mount Zion. |
| 38 | And they saw their temple desolate and their altar desecrated, the gates burnt and the courts overgrown with weeds as "in a thicket" (Gen 22:1) or "on some mountain" (Gen 22:2), and the priests chambers devastated... |
| 41 | Judah appointed men to attack those in the citadel, while he purified the sanctuary. |
| 42 | So he appointed unblemished priests, devoted to the Torah; |
| 43 | And they purified the sanctuary and carried the stones of the desecration to an impure place. |
| 44 | Then they debated what should be done about the altar of burnt offerings which had be desecrated. |
| 45 | A good idea occurred to them: to tear it down lest it be to their everlasting blame that the gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar. |
| 46 | And they put the stones aside in a suitable place on the temple mount, until a prophet came to decide what to do with them. |
| 47 | Then, in accordance with the Torah, they took uncut stones and built a new altar like the first one. |
| 48 | They also rebuilt the sanctuary and purified the courts and the things inside the Temple. |
| --- Septuagint, 1 Maccabees 4:36-48 |
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